| 1972 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Clint Murchison, Jr. |
| Head coach | Tom Landry |
| Home field | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–4 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (at 49ers) 30–28 Lost NFC Championship (at Redskins) 3–26 |
The 1972 Dallas Cowboys season was their 13th in the league. The team failed to improve their previous output of 11–3, winning ten games.[1] They qualified for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season but settled for the wildcard spot. A pre-season injury to quarterback Roger Staubach and the trade of Duane Thomas (both had been integral figures in the 1971 championship team) hindered the offense (mitigated somewhat since their replacements, Craig Morton and Calvin Hill, were former starters).
In the divisional playoff round, Staubach came off the bench to engineer an improbable 30–28 comeback win over the 49ers (Dallas had trailed by 28–16 with less than 2 minutes to play). The win over the 49ers still ranks as one of the all-time great Cowboys wins. However, the momentum could not carry them to a victory over Washington in the NFC Championship game.